Saving Grace

Chapter Seven - 'Lay By Me'

Amanda

Olivia and I were continuing to cook dinner. Less than half an hour later, while the pasta and falafels were cooking, Grace emerged out of the bathroom.

"How was your shower baby?" I asked Grace with my focus which was still on the food in front of me.

"Fine" she whispered. I turned my body to face her. Her eyes were covered in red, the same tint of red which was under them. A black long sleeve was hung on her small frame. She wore a pair of short shorts. She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her long sleeve shirt and sniffled.

"Hey, sweetheart, come here," I said.

"I will give you two a minute." Olivia Left.

"Gracie, baby, what's wrong darling."

Grace turned away from me and avoided the question as she looked away from me. "Nothing Amanda. I said that i am fine and I mean it." She mumbled.

"Grace - - -"

"Amanda, I. Am. Fine"

"That sounded much more like a question baby," I began. "Sweetheart if you want to get through this you have to learn to talk about this." I said as I brought Grace into a tight hug.

As I brought her into a hug I felt her nuzzle her head into my neck as she was hugging me. I heard start crying and I saw her shoulders start to shake again.

She quickly wiped her eyes.

"I am. I said I was completely fine. F.I- -"

"No you aren't fine baby, you were just crying and your shoulders were crying violently. You are still crying baby. You need to tell me what's wrong sweetie. Okay?"

Grace started crying again and her hands were shaking so I hugged her again and Brought her into a hug and put her head onto my chest.

Grace began to sto crying after a little while and started to dry her tears.

"Okay, Manda, but is it alright if we talk after dinner and liv leaves?"

I nodded. "Yes of course darling." I said as I brought her into another hug.

We let Olivia back in while still hugging and then we all had gotten our plates. We all put food onto them but Grace only put one falafel and the smallest bit of pasta onto her plate. I got concerned but I let it slide for the time being.

We all started talking about school, how work was at the precinct, and many other things. Grace didn't seem to be very interest in the conversations and she wasn't talking much. I began to get worried about her.

Grace

We had all finished dinner and Olivia had left right after, now leaving both Amanda and I here to clean up from dinner.

"Gracie, babygirl, do you want to talk about it now?" Amanda asked very cautiously looking at me with a slight smile.

I nodded. My hands trembling and shaking slightly. Amanda noticed my hands shaking so she took a hold of them and squeezed them lightly and lead us to the couch. We both sat down onto the couch, sitting in silence for a minute.

"Sweetie, can you tell me what you are feeling? What you're thinking at the moment?"

Tears started escaping my eyes, a sob escaped my lips. "I'm scared, Amanda. He was here. He was right inside your bedroom." I felt myself still shaking and my lip starting to quiver. "He could have killed us."

"I know," was all that Amanda had managed to say before she hugged me very tightly and brought me to her chest, cradling me. "I know."

I cried my tears were staining Amanda's NYPD shirt. Her hand was drifting across my shirt as she had rubbed light, gentle circles around my small back. "What if he hurts me again?" I asked, as worry and pain was clearly in my voice.

"He won't." Amanda said as her voice was vibrating in her chest. Her arms were holding me very close, calming my nerves slightly. "I will make damn sure of it."

"Amanda?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Can we cuddle?"

"Of course we can, darling. We need all of the rest that we can get." Amanda sighed. She lifted me up and carried me into me into her bedroom. I was gently placed onto the bed as Amanda had reached under the bed. She pulled out a brown, worn and faded teddy bear and she handed it to me.

"I want you do have this baby," she said, smiling st me. I took the bear and I had thanked her. I hugged the brown fluffy teddy bear. The bed had slightly shifted as Amanda climbed in beside me pulling me towards her chest. I turned to face her putting my face in the crook of her neck hugging her.

"Amanda?"

"Yes darling?" She questioned.

"Um.."

"Hey baby, what is it?" Amanda asked me worried.

"Um. There are still things that I have going on but I just can't tell you yet" I said.

"Gracie, that's okay, you don't need to tell me everything right away, okay?" Amanda replied.

"Okay Thankyou," I said cuddling Amanda.

"Goodnight baby." Amanda said.

"Goodnight mom." I said by accident.

After I said that Amanda looked up at me in shock when I said 'mom'.

"Omg I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to call you that, it just slipped out. I'm sorry." I said crying into her chest.

"Hey, hey, darling it's okay you can call me whatever you want Okay, babygirl?"

"Okay mommy." I said. As my eyes were getting heavy.

"Goodnight baby." I began. "Go to sleep, I love you so much."She said.

"Good night mommy, I love you too." I said as I was falling asleep.

Amanda kissed me in the forehead many times as I was falling asleep and I cuddled her and fell asleep in her chest.